How much do Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators make in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA?

Percentile spread

For Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators, the published 10th percentile is $38,260 and the 90th percentile is $74,350. The difference is $36,090, which is 72.1% of the median. Ten percent of measured wages fall below the 10th percentile and ten percent fall above the 90th. How to read a percentile.

The middle half of the distribution, from the 25th percentile at $44,820 to the 75th at $60,060, covers $15,240.

The mean annual wage is $54,090, which sits above the median of $50,030. Median and mean measure different points in the same distribution.

National and state comparison

The Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA median is 16.4% lower than the national median of $59,850 for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators. In 2024 national prices the local median is $53,964, which is 9.8% lower than that same national median. The national figure is already in national prices because the United States parity is 100.

It is 12.5% lower than the Virginia median of $57,160.

Price-adjusted pay

The 2024 all-items regional price parity for Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA is 92.710, with the United States at 100. The Bureau of Economic Analysis released those parities on February 19, 2026. Dividing the May 2025 median of $50,030 by that parity and multiplying by 100 puts Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators at $53,964 in national prices. The wage year and the price year are different. Compare this wage after prices.

Nearby metros

30 other metropolitan areas within 200 miles publish a annual median for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators. Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA ranks 16th of 31 on that median, counting itself. Distance is the great-circle mileage between Census Bureau internal points (U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files, Core Based Statistical Areas, internal points (INTPTLAT, INTPTLONG).).

• Roanoke, VA is 34 miles away, with a median of $49,010 and employment of 480. That median is 2% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $52,351, against $53,964 here.
• Beckley, WV is 64 miles away, with a median of $59,700 and employment of 480. That median is 19.3% higher than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $67,558, against $53,964 here.
• Winston-Salem, NC is 73 miles away, with a median of $47,590 and employment of 770. That median is 4.9% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $51,704, against $53,964 here.